Tag Archives: Salmon

Fly Fishing for Dummies

Clueless about fly fishing?

Me too!

I have been really curious about this sport for some time now. I’ve seen it done countless of times.


Tried it. Failed.


People have endlessly and tirelessly, with their utmost patience and understanding tried to rub off some fly fishing skills on me – but to no avail.


I have resorted to reading, for now. I decided that whatever I can’t do, I might as well LEARN – even just in theory. It helps. I think of my self right now as “A work in progress”.


Let’s all learn the basics. DEFINITION OF TERMS!

A brief definition about some terms I need to know about fly fishing.


What is Fly Fishing?

Fly fishing is an ancient and distinct angling method, developed primarily for salmonids (trout and salmon, mostly) and now extended to other species such as pike, bass, and carp, as well as a wide range of salt water species.


Fly casting is gripping or holding a fly rod correctly and to adopt the correct stance to maintain comfort and balance. The most basic rule to casting is based on the way a clock looks. Your head points straight up to 12:00, your cast (the tip of your rod) should go back to 10:00 and then forward to 2:00, releasing your line at the end of the forward motion. It is a common mistake to dip the rod below those two positions and almost always ends in a line tangle!


Angler. (Does that have anything to do with Math? I hate Math!)

That would be YOU silly! Someday, IF you learn how to fly fish, you will be called an angler. A person catching fish or shellfish with no intent to sell, this includes people keeping the catch or people that practice the “Catch and Release” method (highly recommended).


The Essentials – If you don’t have a complete list of these, you’re NOT Fly Fishing!


Fly Fishing rods are long, thin, flexible rods sometimes made of bamboo, but more recently from man-made materials. Fly rods tend to have large diameter eyes (or guides) spaced along the rod to help control the movement of relatively thick fly line. To aid in the freedom of movement required to skillfully cast with a fly rod, there is usually little to no butt (handle) extending below the fishing reel. Although fly rods are mainly used for casting from fixed positions, they can also be used for trolling for fish.


Fishing Reel is a device used for the deployment and retrieval of fishing line using a spool mounted on an axle. They are used in conjunction with the fly rod and are attached to the base or handle of the rod.


Fishing line is any cord made for fishing. Important parameters of a fishing line are its length, material, and weight (thicker, sturdier lines are more visible to fish). The refractive index is also important—lines with a refractive index similar to water are almost invisible to fish. The most important parameter in deciding what line to use is its strength. This is the amount of weight the line can hold before snapping. One must balance the trade-off between strength and visibility.


Flies as Bait? Are you kidding?

Flies or Artificial flies are constructed — “tied” onto a hook with thread, fur, feathers and other materials — in sizes and colors to match naturally occurring food or simply to excite a fish. And to add more confusion, the names of flies: Wet and dry flies, nymphs, scuds, eggs, streamers, steelheads, bass flies, salmon flies,and saltwater flies.


You will be considered a well equipped fly fisher if you bring waders, wading boots, vest net, polarized sunglasses to protect your eyes and see through the reflection on the water, a hat for the harsh sun, sun block and bug dope (bug repellant) – if you don’t want to be eaten alive by bugs before you even catch a fish!


Armed with the stuff I read, I went about to experience Fly Fishing without even going near a body of water.


Wondering how?


A site that sells fly fishing products – with pretty pictures too! – Riverbum.com

She is a webmaster for Riverbum.com. Riverbum.com sells fly fishing flies, gears, and accessories on-line. They constantly innovate themselves to give their customers the best products they can offer for unreasonably low prices. They love fly fishing, and it shows!

Recreational Fly Fishing

Fish eat bugs, plain and simple. So why not try to catch a fish by mimicking a bug? Thats what fly fishermen have been doing for centuries. Fly fishing began as a method to catch salmonids, which include mostly salmon and trout. Today fishermen use this method to attract a variety of fish ranging from carp to saltwater fish off the coast of Caribbean islands.


Fly fishing differs from traditional lure fishing in a couple of different ways. First of all, the fly fisherman has a longer, lighter rod and a heavier line. The fly fisherman will use his lines weight to cast his incredibly light weight bait: a hand tied fly, whereas lure fisherman will use the weight of their bait to cast their line.


The fly fisherman will aim to mimic a live bug by slapping their line against the water, causing a commotion on the top of the water and hopefully attracting fish to their realistically made flies. The flies come in a variety of colors and styles, ranging from felt and feather construction designs that look like frogs, minnows, and even shrimp. Additionally, flies come in two varieties: dry and wet. The dry fly, like it states, floats on top of the water and does not tip below the waters surface, while the wet fly will find itself submerged underwater thanks to the fishermens drastic cast.


Fly fishing is a genuine art. It takes time, practice, and skill to make the task look both doable and easy. A fly fisherman will start with his rod in front of him. He will hold a length of string in his free hand, and then swing the road behind him, directly to an angle behind his head. Then he will swing the rod forward to an approximate 45 degree angle, allowing the free line to move forward and slap against the water. As stated before, he hopes that this disturbance will mimic that of a bug on the waters surface and draw his food to his line.


Fly fishermen have a variety of methods and terms for casting. Different types of casts are used for different reasons. For example, a fly fisherman may want to use a false cast to draw a different kind of lazy fish to them.


The right kind of fly will also make a difference to a fisherman. Some fisherman scratch their creative itch by creating their own flies while others rely on the experts to tie them the best kind of fish, egg, worm, or mouse for their fly.


Regardless of how they cast or what they use for a fly or even where they fish, every fly fisherman will cite the incredible benefits of fly fishing with relaxation topping out the list.

Resources of fly fishing can be found at: www.excitingflyfishing.comand here

Free Tips for Successful Salmon Fishing

Salmon fishing is one of the most popular fishing sports today and continues to grow in popularity. There are different types of salmon, each with their own unique characteristics and appeal to fishermen. The largest of the Pacific salmon is the Chinook salmon, which can grow up to 40 inches long and weigh as much as 100 pounds. The Chinook salmon are only accountable for about one percent of the salmon harvest each year.

The Sockeye, from Alaska, is the most valuable of all salmon. It grows to 24 inches in length and weighs between six and nine pounds. It makes up 25 to 30 percent of Alaska’s commercial fishing. During spawning season, the males turn a beautiful red, and therefore are often called “red” salmon.

Coho’s are the next (third) most valued fish. These “silvers” as they are called, because of their bright silver color, are popular in the marketplace and often sold whole. The Coho runs to about 29 inches and weighs on an average of nine pounds. The favored ways of processing them is smoking or canning.

Another common salmon is the Chum salmon, however these types of salmon are less valuable to fishermen because their meat is pale and yellow in comparison to the red salmon, making them less desirable to the consumer. Chum salmon can reach a length of 30 inches and weigh about 8 pounds.

The least valuable of Pacific salmon is the Pink salmon. This is also the smallest of the salmon, weighing 4 pounds and averaging about 22 inches long. Even though the Pink salmon is the least valuable of all the salmon it is found in the most abundance. Pink salmon are used mostly for canning and not for eating fresh over the coals.

There are many fishing charters along the northern Pacific coast that are very popular among sport fishermen. If you are an avid fisherman you may want to think about chartering a boat to take you to the finest salmon fishing places along the coast. Many of these charters also offer whale watching tours which is a great way for you to combine your fishing vacation with a bit of sightseeing. Take your time finding the right charter for you as there are many different packages that you can choose from, including one day excursions to week long trips. You will want to join a charter that doesn’t have too many people booked with it, since the smaller the group is the better your salmon fishing trip will be.

Choose carefully and you can enjoy some great fishing – and some great tasting fish!

Stevie James is an experienced fisherman who has set up a Free Fishing Information website to offer free tips, techniques and tutorials that will really help you on the way to more successful and more enjoyable fishing!

Fishing the Great Lakes

Fishing the Great Lakes:

Together the Great Lakes contain the biggest mass amount of freshwater in the world. These lakes lie between the United States and Canada. They are home to many different fish species. Some of the most common inhabitants of the Great Lakes are the various species of Trout, Salmon, Perch, and Bass. However, each lake is known for its own popular fish species.

For over 100 years these lakes have housed the world’s largest freshwater fisheries, containing both native and introduced species. Commercial fishing has declined in the past 100 years, but still relies heavily of the fish of the Great Lakes. On each lake there are fishing charters that go out of the many ports each day.

Lake Michigan:

The waters of Lake Michigan vary according to the area. The northern part of the lake is colder and less developed than the other lakes. Around Chicago and Milwaukee, the lake temperatures are warmer and the area is heavily developed. Lake Michigan offers nearly 100 different species of fish, the most popular being Salmon and Steelhead. Other fish located here are Alewife, Bowfin, Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Bloater, White Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Walleye, Chinook Salmon, Lake Herring, Coho Salmon, Northern Pike, and White and Yellow Perch. Some of the ports and marinas of Lake Michigan are; Port Sheldon, Benton Harbor, Chicago, Winthrop Harbor, Frankfurt, Aradia, and Grand Haven.

Lake Huron:

The second largest of the Great Lakes, Lake Huron is located on the US-Canada border. A popular port on Lake Huron is Port Austin, where the Trout fishing is said to be the best in the world. There are also many other freshwater fish such as; Bass, Whitefish, Salmon, Steelhead, Walleye, Perch and Brown Trout. Lake Huron also has underwater ledges and deep water reefs that are bursting with fish. Ports and marinas located on Lake Huron are; Port Elgin, Port Huron, Port Austin, Port Franks, Grand Bend, and Saginaw Bay.

Lake Superior:

Lake Superior is the largest of all of the Great Lakes, and has the most surface area of any lake in the world. This lake holds enough water to submerge both North and South America under 1 foot of water. It is the coldest and deepest, reaching over 1,300 ft in depth. With most of the land surrounding still left as forest, it is not heavily populated. There are more than 60 different fish species located in Lake Superior. Some of these species include; Brook Trout, Brown Trout, Bloater, Carp, Chinook Salmon, Lake Herring, Coho Salmon, Lake Sturgeon, Lake Trout, Lake Whitefish, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Rainbow Smelt, Ruffe, Round Whitefish, Smallmouth Bass, and White and Yellow Perch. Some of the marinas and ports located on Lake Superior are; Port Wing, Duluth Seaway Port, Twin Ports, St. Louis Bay, and Presque Isle Marina.

Lake Erie:

Lake Erie produces the most fish of all of the Great Lakes, and is the second smallest. The most prized game fish of this lake is the Chinook Salmon, also known as the “King Salmon”, recording up to 47” and 44lbs. Lake Erie also houses Yellow Perch, Coho Salmon, Brown Trout, Carp, Lake Herring, Lake Trout, Lake Whitefish, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, Walleye, and Yellow and White Perch. It is said that there are Jumbo Perch now in Lake Ontario. Some of the popular marinas and ports of Lake Erie are; Port Clinton, Port Stanley, Port of Monroe, and Port of Erie.

Lake Ontario:

Lake Ontario, best known for its salmon and trout fishing, is located between Upstate New York and Canada. There are several different species located in this lake; Atlantic Salmon, Carp, Brown Trout, Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, Lake Herring, Lake Trout, Lake Whitefish, Northern Pike, Rainbow Trout, Rock Bass, Smallmouth Bass, White Bass, and White and Yellow Perch. This lake holds many species that are unique to the area and not found in the other Great Lakes. These species include; Atlantic Salmon, American Eel, Bullheads, and Sunfish. The actual fishing season starts as soon as the ice melts. Most of the fishing in the spring takes place near the shore where the waters are warmer. The best trout fishing is in April, May and June. Once July hits, it is time to fish for Chinook salmon, Coho salmon, and steelhead. These are located farther into the lake. There are numerous fishing charters at the local Lake Ontario ports. Kingston, Little Sodus Bay, Niagara River, Oswego, Sackets Harbor and Port Dalhousie and a few of the ports surrounding Lake Ontario.

For the competitive angler; there are many fishing tournaments scheduled year round on the Great Lakes. Most occur during the spring, summer and fall months because of the ice on the lakes and the frigid temperatures in the winter. Once you have reeled in your prize winning fish, SellUrBoat.com offers helpful tips to clean and preserve your catch.

Kristy Bateman is the writer for Earl’s Blog on SellUrBoat.com.. These articles are unique and helpful to anyone interested in learning about boating and or fishing. Please visit SellUrBoat.com to view a variety of unique articles from Kristy. SellUrBoat.com is The Simplest Solution to Buying and Selling ‘Ur’ Boat.

Fly Fishing Is A Unique Experience

Fly-fishing is a form fishing that uses a different method of catching the species that live and breathe under water. The method is referred to as angling. This method is used to target mostly trout and salmon. Recently the target list has extended to fish like bass, pike and carp. Historically fly fishing an ancient method of catching fish that originated in Scotland and Northern Europe.


There are many and various types of flies being used in fly-fishing. In modern fishing methods there are various types of fish being used to catch the designated target. The following is a list of types of fish; dry flies and emergers (for example midges or stoneflies), nymphs (for example mayflies or eggs and worms), streamers wet flies (for example buggers and leeches), saltwater flies (for examples sailfish and marlin), bass and panfish flies (for example crawfish and eels), salmon and steelhead flies (for example Atlantic salmon flies).


Certain gear is needed when fly-fishing. The first item on the list is fly rods, in which size and usage is important. It is important to match the fly rod with the fly line according to weight. Matching the weight of the two items is important to have positive casting results. The size of the fly rods can be anywhere from #0, #1, #2 and are used for the lightest trout and panfish rods up to powerful and heavy #16 rods for the largest saltwater game fish.


Another item needed for fly-fishing is a bamboo split cane. This allows for a better performance in the freshwater trout fishing situations. Synthetic fly rods are usually used and offer a greater versatility, stiffness, power and performance than a bamboo split cane. The advantages are that they are less expensive and require less maintenance. Finally, fly reels are manually operated. Although in recent years, more advanced models have been developed to deal bigger fish and more demanding situations. These models increase the drag and retrieval performance.


Fly-fishing is an ancient method of catching fish. It is more demanding because you are limited to the types of fish you can catch. You need the appropriate gear to catch the trout or the salmon. Today’s modern techniques used in fly-fishing have been developed to meet more challenging situations, such as bigger weight of the fish. These modern advancements prepare the fly fisherman to successfully meet his quota by using the methodology appropriately.


There are many popular locations for fly-fishing mostly in the Northern United States and Canada. Alaska is another popular place for the activity. Some places in the United States are Utah, Idaho, Colorado, Montana and California are just a few places.

For more information on all aspects of planning your fishing, and to download a free guide, visit The Fishermans Guide